Looking Backward:  2000–1887 is a utopian science fiction novel by Edward Bellamy, a journalist and writer from Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; it was first published in 1888.  It was the third-largest bestseller of its time, after Uncle Tom's Cabin and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.  In the United States alone, over 162 "Bellamy Clubs" sprang up to discuss and propagate the book's ideas.  Owing to its commitment to the nationalization of private property, this political movement came to be known as Nationalism, not to be confused with the political concept of nationalism.  The novel also inspired several utopian communities.  The success of Looking Backward provoked a spate of sequels, parodies, satires, dystopian, and 'anti-utopian' responses.  The result was a "battle of the books" that lasted through the rest of the 19th century and into the 20th.  See a partial list of  responses at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking_Backward

Julian West, the narrator of Looking Backward, was born into an aristocratic family in the late nineteenth century.  The gap between the rich and poor was vast and seemingly impossible to remedy through any means.  Julian, a sufferer of insomnia, had secretly built an underground sleeping chamber to shield himself from street noises.  He also enlisted the aid of Doctor Pillsbury, a skilled mesmerist, who never failed to leave Julian in a deep sleep.  The night before Pillsbury left Boston for a new job in New Orleans, Julian enlisted his help one last time.  After Pillsbury left, Julian's home was destroyed by a fire; Julian was protected by his underground chamber.  Over one hundred years later, Julian's secret chamber is discovered by Doctor Leete, who was preparing the site for the construction of a new laboratory.  Julian has not aged a day because he has been in a state of suspended animation.  http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lookingbackward/summary.html

One of the richest writing competitions in the UK, the Bridport Prize is open to all nationalities aged 16 years and over.  The poem and short story categories each have a first prize of £5,000, second prize £1,000 and third prize £500.  An additional 10 supplementary prizes (for each category) of £50 each are awarded.  A new category for flash fiction with a prize of £1,000 was launched in 2010.  There is a second prize of £500, 3rd prize of £250 and 3 supplementary prizes of £50.  In 2014 the Peggy Chapman-Andrews first novel award, named after the Prize’s founder, was launched.  The first prize is £1,000 plus a up to a year’s mentoring from The Literary Consultancy.  A runner-up prize of £500 is also offered.   The Dorset Award is a prize specifically for Dorset writers.  Thanks to the sponsorship of The Book Shop of Bridport, £100 is awarded to the highest placed Dorset writer in the Bridport Prize each year.  Link to biographies of the 2015 Bridport Prize judges at https://www.bridportprize.org.uk/

Square meal is an expression synonymous with a proper or substantial meal.  It originated from the square platters that were used to serve meals aboard ships.  See many other nautical sayings including take down a peg, shake a leg, shape up, and show your true colors at http://see-the-sea.org/nautical/naut-body.htm

Before the RMS Titanic plunged into the icy waters of the North Atlantic, passengers aboard the storied passenger ship may have feasted on corned beef, potted shrimp and dumplings, according to an unusual artifact from the doomed ship—a lunch menu dated April 14, 1912, the day before the tragic sinking.  The menu, along with several other items from the Titanic's final days afloat, will be put up for auction September 30. 2015 in New York City.  The crumpled menu is expected to sell for at least $50,000, according to Lion Heart Autographs, the online auction house handling the sale.  First-class passenger Abraham Lincoln Salomon salvaged the creased and tattered carte du jour, which was tucked inside his pocket when the ship went down on April 15, 1912.  Elizabeth Palermo  Read more and see graphics at http://www.livescience.com/52036-titanic-lunch-menu-auction.html

The simplest way to toast a lot of nuts is in a medium oven (325° to 375°F).  Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet with a rim (to keep wayward nuts from diving off the edge).  If the nuts don't fit in a single layer, use two pans.  Stay close by, and give the nuts a stir every few minutes.  The nuts will be ready in 5 to 10 minutes; small nuts like pistachios will toast much faster than a batch of big Brazil nuts.  You'll know they're done when they're lightly browned and that comforting, nutty smell fills the air.  Cut one or two in half; they should be an even pale brown throughout.  To toast just a handful of nuts, use a dry skillet over medium heat.  The skillet method is faster since you won't have to wait for the oven to heat up, but it also demands more attentiveness.  You'll need to shake and stir pretty constantly to avoid dark or burnt spots.  A toaster oven is also convenient for small amounts.  Molly Stevens  http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/toast-nuts.aspx

Harvard Law School Library has two main call number systems, Library of Congress (LC) and Moody.  http://guides.library.harvard.edu/law/findabook

It’s All Enumerative:  Reconsidering Library of Congress Classification in U.S. Law Libraries by Kristen M. Hallows   Ms. Hallows investigates the widespread use of the Library of Congress Classification system in U.S. law libraries and the difficulties it can present in some circumstances.  To address these problems, she proposes that smaller law libraries that do not participate in a bibliographic utility may benefit from an in-house classification scheme.  Read a history of classification for legal materials and find material on Harvard and University of Chicago in LAW LIBRARY JOURNAL Vol. 106:1 [2014-5] pp. 85-99 or at http://www.aallnet.org/mm/Publications/llj/LLJ-Archives/Vol-106/no-1/2014-5.pdf

September 29, 2015  A tap dancer who has spent her life demanding respect for an overlooked art form.  A writer at the center of the national conversation about race.  A sociologist who lived in a trailer park to study evictions.  They are among the 24 winners of this year's "genius grants," each to receive $625,000 over five years to spend any way he or she wants, no strings attached, thanks to the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  Each of them found out in recent weeks through a phone call out of the blue.  Don Babwim  Find list of winners and their stories at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/0929/Who-are-this-year-s-MacArthur-genius-grant-winners

Phil Patton, a prolific writer on design and technology who saw the deeper cultural messages in subjects as varied as the interstate highway system, Air Jordan sneakers, tire treads and Mountain Dew’s Mega Mouth Slam Can, died on September 22, 2015 in Wayne, N.J.  He was 63.  Mr. Patton’s keen eye for objects and their hidden significance made him a highly sought-after contributor for a host of magazines, including Art in America, Esquire, Smithsonian, Architectural Digest and Wired.  For many years he wrote on design for the Home section of The New York Times, where he originated the Public Eye column in the late 1990s, and The New York Times Magazine.  In recent years he contributed to the paper’s Automobile section and wrote for its Wheels blog.  Although best known for his writing on product design, especially the design of cars, Mr. Patton could turn almost anything to account.  His first book, “Razzle-Dazzle: The Curious Marriage of Television and Professional Football” (1984), described the way television affected the style of play and the business of the N.F.L.  An abiding fascination with cars and highways led to “Open Road:  A Celebration of the American Highway” (1986), and in “Made in U.S.A.:  The Secret Histories of the Things That Made America” (1992), he examined common objects with the eye of a connoisseur and the mind of a cultural critic.  William Grimes  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/business/phil-patton-scrutinizer-of-the-mundane-is-dead-at-63.html

First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy--access to books.   First Book has distributed more than 130 million free and low cost books in thousands of communities.  First Book now has offices in the U.S. and Canada.  The books are all brand new, age- and language-appropriate.  They are distributed to children in the hardest-to-reach communities nationwide; selected by the educators working most closely with them; and provided directly from over 90 major children's publishers.  More than 35,000 programs across the country receive books from First Book, including: soup kitchens and homeless shelters, local preschool and after-school programs, Title I schools, Head Start centers and Boys & Girls Clubs.  If you know of an organization in your community that could benefit from First Book's resources, please encourage them to register with First Book.  The process is free and takes only minutes:  www.firstbook.org/register.  http://www.firstbook.org/first-book-story/faq   Pharrell Williams has partnered with First Book, to donate up to 50,000 books based on his hit song "Happy" to children in low-income families.

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1354  September 30, 2015  On this date in 1852, Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer, conductor, and educator, was born.  On this date in 1897, Gaspar Cassadó, Spanish cellist and composer, was born.